Mario Kart World is a fun Switch 2 launch title but not the open-world racer I thought it would be

How on earth do you top Mario Kart 8? One of the best-selling console games of all time also had (thanks to a DLC boost) the most tracks the series had ever seen in one place. Going even bigger ought to do it. Mario Kart World breaks away from traditional tracks, dotting everything together across a single expansive map.

No, this isn’t Nintendo going full Forza Horizon on us – World‘s tunes are far catchier pop bops than Microsoft’s sprawling supercar festivals, for one. It’s more interconnected than truly open-world, but that’s still a huge departure from what fans have come to expect from the long-running. The first proper new Mario Kart in over a decade could be the most divisive entry since Double Dash – and that’s before you pile on the added pressure of being a Switch 2 launch title. Have Mario et al been left spinning at the start line, or is this the new console’s first must-have game?

Kart all-stars

While the colourful, cartoony art direction hasn’t evolved all that much since Mario Kart 8, that’s not to say World isn’t also taking advantage of the Switch 2’s beefed up hardware. Each large interconnected circuit loads seamlessly, while maintaining a smooth frame rate – even in split screen, although beyond two players you’re capped to 30fps.

Characters are also way more expressive now, from the little dance they do on the character select screen to showing off with a pose during a jump trick. I’m really enjoying Rosalina’s royally smug look when she’s winning.

The roster doesn’t include crossover appearances (though who’s to say whether Link, Animal Crossing‘s Isabelle or Splatoon‘s Inklings won’t appear as DLC later down the line) yet you’re not short on choice. Nintendo has doubled down with a very random roster of minor Mushroom Kingdom characters, from Gombas and Cheep Cheeps – charming in their own ways – to the cow last seen grazing on Mario Kart 8‘s Moo Moo Meadows circuit. It’s already proving a fan favourite for online play.

Karts and bikes are pre-set vehicles now, rather than being made up of different customisable parts, but there are plenty to choose from. The major players also have lots of costumes to unlock, by grabbing and eating food items during a race. The minor creature characters go without, which is a shame, and the presentation could be clearer, with each costume represented as its own character icon. Rather than over 80 characters, it’s more like half that but with cosmetic variations.

Lap it up, or don’t

Fundamentally, Mario Kart World still has bespoke tracks, with the same number as a typical Mario Kart entry. It’s hardly a spoiler to say you can also unlock a Special Cup that includes Rainbow Road, with this version possibly being the best the series has ever seen. The difference is that in many races (including Grand Prix) you now race between them. You can even opt to go off-road in Free Roam mode, taking in the sights and uncovering secret side missions.

It sounds tantalising on paper. New tracks like Faraway Oasis – where you’re racing alongside herds of chonky zebra -are a delight, as are a few revamped classics. You’ll just wish you actually got the time to enjoy them. Instead of the typical three-lap structure, your time is largely spent racing between tracks, before racing just a single lap at your destination. It’s only in certain modes like Vs or online rooms between friends that you have the option for standard three-lap races.

There’s nothing wrong with a well-designed track that’s one long route, such as the new DK Spaceport. But the intermission tracks are mostly long, straight and wide roads, to accommodate how World bumps the racer count up to a whopping 24. Some of these intermissions do at least provide you with some real spectacle, such as racing across water as if this was a spiritual successor to Wave Race, or dodging rampaging dinosaurs, though it often feels like style over substance.

It’s a knockout

World‘s divisive choices make the most sense in the new Knockout Tour mode. Each series of races consists of six connecting tracks, becoming the equivalent of a battle royale as your starting grid of 24 racers is whittled down four at a time at each new checkpoint. Eventually only four racers are left to fight for first place.

Suddenly, the long wide roads feel crucial to jostle for position and draft-boost past rivals, while you’re using every dirty trick and item you can get your hands on to get ahead.

These races are as thrilling as they are infuriating, as all it takes is one unlucky shell to send you from first to the point of elimination. With so many racers to start with, knockout tours are chaotic as you scramble for items, and you have to think whether you should use them quickly for an advantage now or hoard it as a back-up (and also risk losing them should you get zapped by lightning). It’s often the last stretch of each section where it matters most and there’s nothing worse than being stopped in your tracks close to the checkpoint while a host of mushroom-boosting racers and Bullet Bills whizz past.

And yet, wipe away the salt, and it’s just as easy to jump back in to have another go and hope you get a better position. Sure, there are the classic battle modes too like Balloon battle and coin runners, but they kind of pale in comparison to the adrenaline burst of Knockout Tour, which also doesn’t ask as much of your time as a typical battle royale. If online gets too ruthless, this is also available to play with friends – or by yourself against the computer, though they can be just as ruthless.

Free to roam

Ironically, Free Roam isn’t quite the headline attraction you would have assumed, instead being so easy to miss. You need to press the plus button when on the title screen. It’s also available as a nice bit of downtime as you wait for online lobbies to fill up, where you can freely explore out of bounds without being scooped up Lakitu (he’s also more of a miser in races as he’ll punish you by taking away all your reserve items).

Indeed, it’s better to treat Free Roam as a chill hangout spot with friends via GameChat. You can take pictures together, or take your time exploring then figuring out how to reach some tricky-to-reach Peach medallions or P-Switch challenges. I can’t help but wonder how much more exciting it would be if I could just get out of my kart and explore with all the wonder of Super Mario Odyssey? And while I appreciate not being bombarded with things to do like other open world games, it would still be nice if you could actually access a list of all the collectibles in an area.

Ultimately, Free Roam feels undercooked and there’s almost a sense that Nintendo is paving the way to add more content over time. Whether that’s as free updates or paid DLC is unclear, though as the priciest game on the Switch 2 so far, you’d hope not to be gouged too soon.

Mario Kart World verdict

While a seemingly safe no-brainer bet for the Switch 2 (and given the savings, you’d be foolish not to buy it with the console bundle), Mario Kart World makes some daring changes that shake up the formula – though at this stage I’m not positive all are for the best. Knockout Tour is far and away the highlight, but the interconnected structure puts a damper on other racing modes. I’m not yet convinced new mechanics like rail grinding and wall-riding are a substitute for drift-boosting, either.

Free Roam feels more like the foundations for something greater and more substantive, but if the Switch 2 continues its momentum, it’s not unfeasible for this to be a title that becomes even more expansive a year, or two, or even another ten from now. If Nintendo can just quickly patch in three-lap races back for Grand Prix and online races pretty soon, then that alone would make me happy.